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Shibuya Punk

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Reason: This page requires significant cleanup and expansion. It needs a dedicated visuals section that analyzes the visual aesthetic. The 'Related Aesthetics' and 'Music' sections contain problematic conflations (e.g., misidentifying the 1990s Shibuya-kei movement as an aspect of this 2000s street-inspired aesthetic) and overly extensive, uncurated lists that dilute the page's focus.

Shibuya Punk (also called Grind Fiction or Animemo) is an aesthetic based on various Japanese media that surrounds inline-skating, graffiti and street gangs in a contemporary or near-future urban setting. It largely overlaps with the Y2K Futurism aesthetic.

History[]

The style originated with the 2000 Sega Dreamcast game known as Jet Set Radio (or Jet Grind Radio in some regions), which was praised for its distinct art direction at the time, even pioneering the use of cel-shaded graphics in video games as a whole. However, its roots took shape much earlier with SEGA games like Crazy Taxi and Space Channel 5 which experimented with the traditional gaming format at the time.

Jet Set Radio gained a cult following, and both it and its 2002 sequel, Jet Set Radio Future, would have their style, art, and music serve as an influence or inspiration for indie titles in the late 2010s and early 2020s. These games include, but are not limited to: Lethal League and Lethal League Blaze, Hover, No Straight Roads, Butterflies, and many more. These games further developed the style that is now known as Shibuya Punk.

Another game that may have inspired the style is The World Ends With You, released in 2007 on the Nintendo DS. Much like Jet Set Radio, the game was praised for its stylish presentation, including its angular, occasionally surreal art style courtesy of Tetsuya Nomura and Gen Kobayashi; music inspired by Hip-Hop, Rock, and Electronica; and focus on Japanese street culture, fashion trends, and even cuisine.

An anime known as Air Gear debuted in the 2000s, which also features roller-skating gangs, and some music was provided by Hideki Naganuma, the composer for Jet Set Radio and Jet Set Radio Future.

Tying in with Japanese Turn of the Millennium graphic design and speculative Cyberpunk, Shibuya Punk's namesake also stems from the real-life Tokyo Metropolis ward of Shibuya. Long considered both a place of passage and a hub of youth culture, Tokyo residents consider Shibuya the "crossroads" or "heart of Tokyo." Shibuya is considered the most socially interactive and trendsetting neighborhood in Tokyo, known for being where residents from throughout Tokyo crossover and mingle on its bustling streets. The juxtaposition of various lifestyles, fashion trends, music, and visual art means that making waves in Shibuya eventually catches on everywhere else, and helps add to the character of Shibuya itself. However, Shibuya Punk is also representative of other places within Tokyo, such as the neon-drenched red-light districts of Shinjuku and the Otaku-influencing style of Akihabara.

The names "Grind Fiction" and "Animemo" (a portmanteau of "anime" and "emo," though not to be confused with "emo anime") come from the GrindWorld forums, coined by the user "Sky Hedgehogian Maestro." The terms describe the fusion between anime, grunge, hip-hop, and techno, embodied by both Jet Set Radio and The World Ends With You, although it has since also included Scott Pilgrim, FLCL, the Splatoon series, and the Persona series.

In the late 2000s, the style began to fall out of fashion, being slowly replaced by Superflat Pop, which has similar motifs but is inspired by the works of Takashi Murakami. However, in the mid-2010s, the release of Splatoon on the Nintendo Wii U and its sequels reinvigorated interest in self-expression, music, and art, key elements of the Shibuya Punk style. The resurgence in interest in games similar to Jet Set Radio and the many titles inspired by it persists to the present day, bolstered further by the release of Bomb Rush Cyberfunk and the announcement of a new Jet Set Radio title in late 2023.

Video Games[]

Precursors (1990s)[]

  • PaRappa the Rapper (1996)
  • Dance Dance Revolution series (1998-present)
  • Crazy Taxi (1999)
  • Space Channel 5 (1999)

Inception (2000s)[]

  • Slap Happy Rhythm Busters (2000)
  • Jet Set Radio/Jet Grind Radio (2000)
  • Sonic Adventure 2 (2001)
  • PaRappa the Rapper 2 (2001)
  • Jet Set Radio Future (2002)
  • Space Channel 5: Part 2 (2002)
  • Jet Set Radio GBA (2003)
  • Viewtiful Joe (2003)
  • Ollie King (2004)
  • Mega Man X: Command Mission (2004)
  • Viewtiful Joe 2 (2004)
  • Sonic Rush (2005)
  • Sonic Riders (2006)
  • Persona 3 and its rereleases (2006, 2007, 2009, 2024)
  • The World Ends with You (2007)
  • Sonic Rush Adventure (2007)
  • No More Heroes (2007)
  • Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity (2008)
  • Persona 4 and Persona 4 Golden (2008, 2012)

Revival (2010s)[]

  • No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (2010)
  • Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game (2010)
  • DRAMAtical Murder (2012)
  • Lethal League (2014)
  • Sunset Overdrive (2014)
  • Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth (2015)
  • Splatoon (2015)
  • Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal (2016, 2022)
  • Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker's Memory (2017)
  • Hover: Revolt of Gamers (2017)
  • ARMS (2017)
  • Splatoon 2 (2017)
  • Lethal League Blaze (2018)
  • ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove (2019)

Renaissance (2020s–present)[]

  • No Straight Roads (2020)
  • Sludge Life (2020)
  • Umurangi Generation (2020)
  • NEO: The World Ends With You (2021)
  • FreeJack Online (2021)
  • OlliOlli World (2022)
  • Splatoon 3 (2022)
  • Tribe Nine (2022)
  • Hi-Fi Rush (2023)
  • Butterflies (2023)
  • Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (2023)
  • RKGK / Rakugaki (2024)
  • Zenless Zone Zero (2024-present)
  • NITRO GEN OMEGA (2025)
  • UNBEATABLE (2025)
  • Denshattack (2026)
  • No Straight Roads 2 (2026)
  • Buster JAM! (2026)
  • Lock-N-Load (TBA, project by Dinosaur Games)
  • Jamphibian (TBA)
  • Sonic Rush 3D (TBA)
  • Sonic Re-Rush (TBA)
  • Parcel Corps (TBA)
  • Untitled Jet Set Radio Revival (TBA)
  • BOOM! Buster (TBA)
  • RAVE ROUGH (TBA)
  • HYPERFIST (TBA)
  • Resistance 204X (TBA)
  • Genokids (TBA)
  • Splatoon Raiders (TBA)
  • HYPERyuki: Snowboard Syndicate (TBA)
  • HYPERFUNK (TBA)

Anime and Manga[]

  • Tekkonkinkreet (1993–1994)
  • FLCL (1999–2001)
  • Air Gear (2002-2012)
  • Samurai Champloo (2004–2005)
  • Soul Eater (2004–2013)
  • Gurren Lagann (2007–2013)
  • Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (2010–2011, 2025)
  • K (2012)
  • Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (2018)
  • SK8 the Infinity (2021)
  • Gachiakuta (2022-present)
  • Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023)
  • SHOGUNNED (2024-present)
  • Love Sickubus (2024–present)
  • KILLTUBE (2026)

Tabletop Games[]

Music[]

The music for the aesthetic is varied and unique, ranging from aggressive and in-your-face to relaxed and chill. The most notable genres are Shibuya-kei and "Naganuma-kei", a term coined by Sashko Naganuma (check video description), describing a type of music made by famous video-game music composer Hideki Naganuma and fans of him. Naganuma-kei is an upbeat, catchy genre that takes inspiration from J-pop, hip-hop, funk, techno/trance, punk rock, acid jazz, trip-hop/downtempo, nu metal, drum & bass/jungle, big beat, chiptune, breakcore, house (including, as recent as early 2024, rally house), and many other genres based in, or influenced by, the Y2K Futurism era of the late 90s/early 2000s. Most Shibuya Punk music relies on heavy use of vocal and musical samples, sound effects, and jingles that have been altered in bizarre and innovative ways—often cut, rearranged, chopped, screwed, and sped up beyond recognition.

Underground and lesser-known alternative music are key staples of the aesthetic in general; however, the most recently known musicians fitting the aesthetic are Porter Robinson and 2 Mello. Additionally, many bands and artists who released music under the Beastie Boys' now-defunct record label, "Grand Royal," such as Scapegoat Wax and The Latch Brothers, fit the aesthetic's eccentric, rebellious feeling. Notably, several Future Funk artists featured in the Lethal League games and Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, such as AAron EVO, SKALP, and Otis McDonald originally had their music included in the Dutch electronic music compilations, MORE BOUNCE presents: Feeding U New Knocks, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, by Amsterdam-based indie record label Wicked Wax. These artists add a groovy dimension to Shibuya Punk's music, steeped in bouncy 1970s and 80s boogie-funk from the Dutch House scene.

Inspirations[]

Several artists laid the groundwork for Shibuya Punk music, owing to its heritage in funk, hip-hop, and synth-pop. Some of these forefathers of funky fresh beats include:

  • Afrika Bambaataa
  • Average White Band
  • The Blackbyrds
  • Cameo
  • Captain Funk
  • The Chemical Brothers
  • Dayton
  • Dazz Band
  • Earth, Wind & Fire
  • The Egyptian Lover
  • Fatboy Slim
  • George Duke
  • James Brown
  • Kraftwerk
  • Kurtis Blow
  • Parliament-Funkadelic
  • Prince
  • Run-D.M.C.
  • Ryuichi Sakamoto
  • Sly and the Family Stone
  • Stevie Wonder
  • Whodini
  • World Class Wreckin' Cru
  • Yellow Magic Orchestra
  • Zapp & Roger

It is because of these artists and their innovations that Hideki Naganuma and those working with him on the original Jet Set Radio and Future created such a profound musical identity, one that now acts as a cornerstone for all artists influenced by their compositions. Additionally, many artists who found their music danced to by the boogaloo and popping movements—also listed above—went on to inspire the artists signed to The Sleepers RecordZ, many of whom would have their music featured in the Lethal League games and Bomb Rush Cyberfunk.

Music Theory[]

As a genre, Shibuya Punk revolves around the core idea of sampling, utilizing drum loops from other genres, such as breakbeat, funk, and hip-hop, and chopping and/or layering them onto one another. Chord progressions often stay simplistic throughout the song, but vary slightly during the chorus. In Sneakman by Hideki Naganuma, the key doesn't move from the tonic key of A minor until about 30 seconds into the song, only then does it elaborate to i-iii-iv-viii. In Like It Like This Like That, it stays in the tonic key of B♭ major throughout the entire song, with the only variation being the dominant V chord at the last bar of each measure, making for an incredibly basic, yet catchy I-V progression. Similar to old-school house music, chord progressions typically remain in a certain major or minor key due to stabs and hits being hard-wired to a specific chord, usually in 5ths or 4ths, but sometimes extending into 7ths or even 9ths.

Another thing to note about Hideki's writing style is his extensive use of stutters, repetition, 5th chords, and quarter-note triplets. If you listen to some of his songs (such as Funky Dealer, Sneakman, and Let Mom Sleep), there's a common pattern involving three notes that are specifically pronounced when they play. He also repeats and stutters patterns to keep the song engaging and to give it that DJ feel.

Instrumentation is widely varied, but it is rarely played with real instruments; instead, it often opts for samples and loops. The only songs that use MIDI playback are the tracks JACK DA FUNK and GET ENUF from the Bomb Rush Cyberfunk OST, where Hideki opted to use a Roland Jupiter-8 synth plugin. For the bass, instruments such as slap bass loops or synth/acid sequences are used to create a droning or repetitive effect that follows the drums. Orchestra hits and stabs, distorted guitars, organs, trumpets, saxophones, and synthesized sequences are often used, being pitched and chopped to create a melody. Vocals are either voice clips from sample CDs or vintage clips, such as movie or speech recordings, and punchy ad-libs, like "uh" or "yeah".

All of the compositions by both Hideki Naganuma and Richard Jacques for Jet Set Radio and Future utilize samples from CDs released during the 1990s. SEGA provided their musicians with an arsenal of CDs, including Zero-G Datafile 1, 2, and 3, Ueberschall Big Beat, Big Fish Audio Big Beat Megaton Bomb vol. 4, Norman Cook - Skip To My Loops, X-Static Goldmine: Disc 2, and many more.

Artists[]

#[]

A–C[]

D–F[]

  • Daniel Crawford
  • Darling's Domain (formerly BonafideBloom)
  • Daft Punk
  • Date of Birth
  • daypeecone
  • dazegxd
  • Deavid Soul
  • Def Cut
  • Deltron 3030
  • Denz1000
  • D Fast
  • Dirty Bird (gum.mp3)
  • DJ Chidow
  • DJ Kychu
  • DJ Lean Rock
  • DJ Shadow
  • Dj Zapy & Dj Uragun
  • Doctor Lazer
  • Dogg Master
  • Dom McLennon
  • DOT96
  • Doujah Raze
  • Dragon Ash
  • duuzu
  • E. Live
  • EeL
  • Een Glish
  • elektricPunk
  • Elevator Action
  • Erik Rico
  • Ethan Goldhammer/Flamclap
  • eureka!
  • EX-LYD
  • Fantastic Plastic Machine
  • Featurecast
  • F-Fields
  • Fitness Forever
  • FKD
  • Flipper's Guitar
  • Flying Lotus
  • Flytones
  • Frank Klepacki
  • Frenesi
  • Fumie Kumatani
  • Funk Fiction
  • Funkmaster Ozone
  • Fuzita Blender

G–I[]

J–L[]

M–O[]

P–S[]

T–V[]

W–Z[]

Playlists[]

Internet Radio Station[]

External Resources[]

Gallery[]

Videos[]

Navigation[]

Y2K Aesthetics

90s Cool • Bubblegum Dance • Chromecore • Cyber Grunge • Cyber Stylin' • FantasY2K • Four Colors • Gen X Soft Club • Low Poly • McBling • Metalheart • Shibuya Punk • Surf Crush • Teenpunk • UrBling • Vectorheart • Webcore • Y2K Futurism

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